The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-04-16
WINNIE DAVIS.

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Miss Varina Davis is the third
and only surviving child save one,
another daughter, Of the confederate
ex-president. Mrs. Davis bore the
famous Kentuckian four children,
two of whom were boys, and both
are dead. Willie, the youngest child,
perished of diphtheria, and "Jeff,
Jr.," fell victim of yellow fever
and a sacrifice to his own heroic
resolve to nurse the needy and sick
during the frightful epidemic in
Memphis in 1877. During jeff
Davis residence in Memphis he was
engaged in business as the presi-
dent of the Carolina Life Insurance
company, southern organization,
appealing alone to the sOutherners
for patronage. During the life of
the company society in Memphis
was extremely southern and exclu-
sive, and decidedly gay, and of
course, the Davises led the most
fashionable set. The city was the
home, at this time, of quite a num-
Der of prominent ex-confederates
well known in political circles. 1t
was the place of residence of Isham
&. Harris. Gems. VIM. Nj. Browne,
n. Is. Forrest, Gideon Pillow, the
family of Admiral Semmes, of the
Alabama, and other distinguished
southerners. Many elegant social
courtesies were extended to the Da-
vises, which they returned in a most
sumptuous manner in their plain
but quite commodious residence.
Mrs. Davis relied upon her eldest
daughter Maggie for assistance in
dispensing the hospitalities of the
house, and upon special occasions
the aid of Miss Winnie, Jeff, Jr.,"
and the nieces of Admiral Semmes.
Owing to an i'll feeling that had its
origin some time during the Mexi-
can war, wherein both men won
their spurs as soldiers, Gen. Pillow
never spoke or bowed to Mr.. Davis
when passing him in the streets or
boulevards. Pillows son and daugh-
ter were familiar figures IN society
and frequently in the company of
the young Davises, from whom they
received the most polite but chilli
est of treatment, particularly from
Miss Winnie. This young irrecon-
cilable upon one occasion positively
refused to dance in the same set
with the Pillows, so heartily did
she enter into the unforgiving spirit
of her father and his bitter feeling
toward an old comrade in arms.
Miss Winnie, after the dead Willie,
has ever been her fathers favorite
child, because, perhaps, she most
resembles him in disposition and in
tellectual qualities. She is fair pa
trician, and the daughter of a natu-
raj aristocrat. and like her father
will at heart never have anything
in common with the masses. She
has grown to be beautiful woman,
rich in physical and mental charms.
She is of medium height, her figure
slight and graceful, but we'll formed.
Her face is oval and complexion
olive, while her dark eyes are a
source of the warmest admiration.
Her hands and feet are small, the
latter strikingly noticeable by reas-
on of their highly arched instep.
Miss Davis dresses richly but very
quietly, and apparently has no de-
sire to attract attention. Her Ian
guage is as expressive as her eyes,
and, while she has some wit, she is
thought by some to have not the
slightest conception of humor; she
is a skilled fencer in repartee, clings
tenaciously to old things, and ex-
presses the utmost respect in her
words and acts for the convention
alities and social forms of her ma
tive section. Miss Davis has spent
most of her life in travel.